Students as Learners Flashcards
Accomodation
Responding to a new event or object by changing an existing scheme or creating a new scheme
Assimilation
Responding to a new event or object that is consistent with an existing scheme
Classical Conditioning
A process of behavior modification by which a person comes to respond in the desired manner to what was once a neutral stimulus. The neutral stimulus has been repeatedly presented along with an unconditioned stimulus that eventually elicits the desired response
Conservation
Knowing that a number or amount stays the same even when rearranged or presented in a different shape
Constructivism
A philosophy of learning based on the premise that people construct their own understanding of the world they live in through reflection on experiences
Convergent Thinking
A process of gathering several pieces of information together to solve a problem
Creativity
New and original behavior that creates a culturally appropriate product
Discovery Learning
Teaching methods that enable students to discover information by themselves or in groups
Disequilibrium
One’s inability to explain new events based on existing schemes, which is usually accompanied by discomfort
Disposition
A person’s natural tendency to approach learning or problem solving in certain ways
Distributed Cognition
A process in which two or more learners share their thinking as they work together to solve a problem
Divergent Thinking
The process of mentally taking a single idea and expanding it in several directions
Equilibration
Movement from equilibrium to disequilibrium and then back to equilibrium again
Equilibrium
One’s ability to explain new events based on existing schemes
Long-Term Memory
The part of memory that holds skills and knowledge for a long time
Metacognition
A person’s ability to think about his or her own thinking
Operant Conditioning
A form of psychological learning in which the learner modifies his or her own behavior based on the association of the behavior with a stimulus
Problem Solving
To use existing knowledge or skills to solve problems or complex issues
Readiness to Learn
A context within which a student’s more basic needs (sleep, safety, love) are met and the student is cognitively ready for developmentally appropriate problem solving and learning
Response
A specific behavior that a person demonstrates
Scaffolding
Instructional supports provided to a student by an adult or a more capable peer in a learning situation. The more capable a student becomes with a certain skill or concept, the less instructional scaffolding the adult or peer needs to provide
Schema
A concept in the mind about events, scenarios, actions, or objects that have been acquired from past experience
Self-Efficacy
A belief that one is capable
Self-Regulation
The process of taking control of one’s own learning or behavior
Stimulus (Stimuli)
A specific object or event that influences (positively or negatively) a person’s learning or behavior
Transfer
The ability to apply a lesson learned in one situation to a new situation
Working Memory
The part of memory that holds and actively processes a limited amount of information for a short amount of time
Zone of Proximal Development
It suggests that students learn best in a social context in which a more-able adult or peer teaches the student something he or she could not learn on his or her own
Acculturation
Process of learning and adopting the customs and values of another culture
Auditory (or Aural) Learner
They learn through lectures, discussions, listening to tapes, repeating information and reading aloud
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Students with these disorders have difficulty socializing and communicating
Behavior Disorder
A type of disruptive behavior disorder in children and adolescents. These students may violate rules, show aggression toward people or animals or destory property
Cognitive Style
A person’s way of perceiving and remembering information; the way the person thinks or solves problems
Concrete Operational Thinker
Children ages 7 to 11 think in logical terms and not in abstract terms. They require hands-on experiences to learn concepts
Developmental Delays
The student may have one or more of the following difficulties: self-care, expressive or receptive language, learning, mobility, self-direction, capacity for independent living, or economic self-sufficiency
Disposition
A person’s overall approach and temperament when solving problems, learning and thinking
Formal Operational Thinkers
Children ages 11 to 15 develop hypothetical and abstract thinking. They can use logical operations to work with abstract problems
Functional Mental Retardation
A diagnosis determined by a medical professional for a child who exhibits difficulties with the following: age-specific activities, communication, daily living activities and getting along with others
Giftedness
Significantly higher than usual ability or aptitude in one or more areas
Kinesthetic Learner
They process information through moving and doing. They learn through acting out scenes, putting on plays, moving to the beat, pacing out measurements on the sidewalk
Physical or Sensory Difficulties
Affect school performances significantly such as health, visual or hearing impairments
Tactile Learner
They process information through touching. They learn through active involvement with the physical world
Visual Learner
They process information through seeing. THey learn through visual displays, films, illustrated books, handouts, graphic organizers and bulletin boards
American with Disabilities Act
A federal law, enacted in 1990, that prohibits discrimination on the basis of a person’s disability for all services, programs and activities provided or made available by state and local governments
Due Process
A set of procedures or safeguards that give students with disabilities and their parents/guardians extensive rights that include notice of meetings, opportunities to examine relevant records, impartial hearings and a review procedure
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
Legislation passed in 1974 that gives students and parents access to school records and limits others’ access to those records
Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA)
A federal statute, enacted in 1990, that has resulted in several grant programs to states in educating students with disabilities.
Individualized Education Plan (IEP)
A written plan for a student with disabilities developed by a team of professionals (teachers, special educators, school psychologists) and the child’s parents or caregivers. It is based on an evaluation by the child’s multidisciplinary team and describes how the child is doing presently, what the child’s learning needs are and what services the child will need
Inclusion
Inclusive education strives to educate a child with disabilities in his or her neighborhood school and in the regular education classroom as much as possible
Least Restrictive Enviornment (LRE)
The educational setting that allows students with disabilities to be educated with nondisabled peers
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
A civil rights law prohibiting discrimination against individuals with disabilities by federally assisted programs or activities
Attribution
When one constructs a casual explanation for failure or success
Cognitive Discconance
A feeling of mental discomfort in which new information conflicts with beliefs or previously learned information
Extrinsic Motivation
Motivation that comes from external sources or from outside a person such as stickers or behavior charts
Facilitating Anxiety
A low level of anxiety that actually can enhance student learning and performance on classroom assessments
Debilitating Anxiety
A high level of anxiety that detracts from a student’s ability to concentrate on the task or even the attempt the task out of fear and intense concern
Intrinsic Motivation
Motivation that comes from within, or from inside a person such as providing students time to reflect on gials and achievements
Learned Helplessness
A tendency for a person to be a passive learner who is dependent on others for guidance and decision making
Punishment
The goal is to weaken or extinguish an undesired behavior
Reinforcement
The process or action of strengthening or reinforcing a behavior.
Positive Reinforcement
Involves a stimulus to increase a desired response
Negative Reinforcement
Involves removing a negative stimulus to increase a desired response
Self-Determination
Suggests that humans have a basic need for autonomy when it comes to the courses their lives take
Preoperational Stage
In Piaget’s theory, the stage (from 2 to 6 or 7) during which a child learns to use language but does not yet comprehend the mental operations of concrete logic.
Concrete Operations Stage
In Piaget’s theory, the stage (from 7-11) of cognitive development, in which adult-like logic appears but is limited to concrete reality.
Formal Operations Stage
In Piaget’s theory, the stage of cognitive development (ages 11 or 12 and beyond), which is characterized by the ability to apply logical thinking to abstract problems and hypothetical situations.
Assimilation
In the theories of Jean Piaget: Attaching old schema to a new object.
With-It-Ness
Awareness of what is happening in your classroom.
Objectives
What students must know after a lesson.
Norm-Referenced Test
A test that evaluates each individual relative to a normative group.
Criterion-Referenced Test
A test that measures achievement according to a predetermined standard.
